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Caribbean Bee College, St. George's University Grenada Jan 3, 4, 5

Join us for the…

The first ever Caribbean Bee College will be offered at St. George’s University
School of Veterinary Medicine True Blue Campus in Grenada, West Indies!
• Classes for beekeepers of all experience levels.
• You don’t have to keep bees to attend; all you need is an interest in the subject!
• EVERYONE WELCOME. We strongly encourage beekeepers,farmers, educators,
entrepreneurs and employees of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Health, Environment, and Education to attend.
• Lectures and hands-on workshops including live bee hive demonstrations with the experts.
• Topics cover everything from basic biology to value added hive products and more.
3,4,5 January 2013
The Caribbean’s Largest Educational
Honey Bee Event has arrived!
Brought to you by the Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab at the
University of Florida, St. Georges University, Grenada Association of
Beekepers and the Association of Caribbean Beekeepers’ Organisations.
Register http://caribbeanbeecollege.eventbrite.com

What are you thankful for this holiday season? Our Caribbean Bee College Partners are thankful for some generous donations that have allowed us to reduce the price of admission for this 2.5 day educational beekeeping training event, taking place on the beautiful island country of Grenada at St. Georges University. We will be taking a tour of local apiaries, and have 2 full days of lectures and workshops for people of all skill levels. Plus, what an amazing venue to network with others in the beekeeping and agricultural sector! Don’t forget about the 13-class honey show.

We have worked hard to keep registration and lodging costs low for the event. We truly hope that all parties interested in attending the CBC will be able to identify funding sources for their participation. We encourage bee clubs or governments on every island to consider sending a representative from their respective island to the CBC. We hope to register attendees from every island to make this a truly international event and facilitate our discussion on developing sustainable honey bee programs in the Caribbean.

Would you be willing to sponsor an individual from the Caribbean to come to the Caribbean Bee College? What amazing gift you could provide to a person in need of funding support. They will truly receive a direct benefit to their family and community with the skills they will learn at the CBC. Please email me today and I would be happy to facilitate a sponsorship!

We have some great news! The Caribbean Bee College (CBC) has been gaining much support from the wider beekeeping community, and because of some generous donations, we are now able to lower the cost of registration! We have also secured low- cost accommodations for CBC participants! Please click the following link for the full-color announcement with schedule http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honeybee/e.../CBC_FINAL.pdf .

There are two new registration prices: Just $150 USD per person for the entire event (2.5 days) and $125USD for Grenada residents (with valid photo ID). You can find these new registration prices open today at http://caribbeanbeecollege.eventbrite.com .

Did you know that you can pay by check? Did you know that you can pay at the door? It’s easy! Just go http://caribbeanbeecollege.eventbrite.com/ and enter the number of registrations you would like to purchase (skip the register button). Next choose ‘SHOW OTHER PAYMENT OPTIONS’ (below the REGISTER button). Then, click ‘PAY OFFLINE’. Here you will add your personal information to register for the event. You will then print your completed registration form and bring it to CBC registration at the door with your registration fee. Alternatively, you may mail your registration fee ahead of time.

We have secured discounted rates at various hotels in Grenada. When registering, please remember to indicate that your reservation is part of the “Caribbean Bee College”. You can find each hotel’s booking information at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honeybee/e...e_college.html

Additionally, we have just secured low-cost accommodations at the Grande Anse dormitories of St. George’s University (SGU). These are only $30USD/night per person in a double occupancy room (aka with a roommate) or $60USD/night in a single occupancy room. Transportation to/from the dormitories to the Caribbean Bee College will be provided daily by SGU. Amenities: There is a community kitchen area on the ground floor of the dorms. The location is on the Grand Anse Beach front with a gated access point to the beach. All rooms come with two twin beds, air conditioning, and an in suite bathroom with linen service. You may register for a dormitory room where you register for the event, and the cost will be added to your total http://caribbeanbeecollege.eventbrite.com/. The dormitories are available from January 2nd until January 7th 2013. Dormitory registration is listed per night. Please be sure to reserve the number of nights you need when registering.

We truly hope that you will join us for this unique training opportunity, developed especially for the Caribbean. This event is made possible by partnership with St. George’s University, University of Florida, Association of Caribbean Beekeepers’ Organizations, and the Grenada Association of Beekeepers.

If you have any questions regarding the Caribbean Bee College, please contact me at jklopchin@ufl.edu. We welcome the use of social media, message forwarding, and copying to send the message of Caribbean Bee College to your friends and colleagues.

I wanted to reach out to you to say thank you to the Tupelo beekeepers Association, the Beekeepers of Volusia County and the Escarosa Beekeepers Association who have pledged support for registration scholarships to Caribbean Bee College. In total their support will allow 8 Caribbean people to attend the CBC. Now, these individuals will be able to look to our great state and to our dedicated beekeeping groups with much respect and regard for the opportunities presented to them.

If your club is interested in sponsoring individuals to come to the CBC, there is still time! Please contact me via email or phone to pledge your support, we have many students waiting in the wings, hoping for support to attend. Specifically, I have a group of 10 women in a beekeeping cooperative from Grenada that have requested support. They have been collectively beekeeping for 10 years and are seeking this type of training so that they may be able to gain more independence through beekeeping.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Don’t forget that you are invited to attend the Caribbean Bee College as well. What an incredible venue and location to learn more about beekeeping, with an island twist! We are having regional delegates teach on beekeeping in the Caribbean, top-bar hives, and more. We thank you for your consideration of our request for support and of our invitation. We hope to see you soon.

The Caribbean Bee College is fast approaching! Have you registered yet? It’s not too late! We are accepting registrations all the way until the end of the month. Click here for access to our fast, easy, online registration website http://caribbeanbeecollege.eventbrite.com/ . Need to pay at the door? No problem, just register your name and personal information for our planning purposes and bring your payment at the door. Just click “show other payment options” (underneath the register button) and choose “pay offline” and then “pay at the door”.

Do you need assistance registering? Do you know someone who would like to come the CBC but may have limited internet access? No problem! Call me at 352-273-3932 and I would happy to register you and take your information over the phone. Phone registrations are open from 10am to 5pm daily.

Detailed information about the Caribbean Bee College, including the schedule below, can be found at www.ufhoneybee.com. You can also email me at jklopchin@ufl.edu with questions about the college. Thank you for taking the time to pass on this information to your friends and colleagues. We truly hope that you will join us for this unique beekeeping training event. The partnerships that have formed from this event between UF, SGU, ACBO, GAB, and the regional beekeeping community will foster a productive network of exchange for the research, extension and instruction of apiculture in the Caribbean. The Caribbean Bee College is simply the kick-off event for what we hope to be a long a fruitful relationship! We hope to see you in Grenada in January!

The first Caribbean Bee College was very successful. There were beekeepers from many of the islands, Costa Rico, UK, and the USA.
These photos were taken by the St. George's Unversity photographer and are copyrighted. I have permission to share them with you.
2013-01-03 Bee College Apiary Visit